Compact non-volatile memory device

ABSTRACT

A non-volatile memory cell includes a selection transistor having an insulated selection gate embedded in a semiconducting substrate region. A semiconducting source region contacts a lower part of the insulated selection gate. A state transistor includes a floating gate having an insulated part embedded in the substrate region above an upper part of the insulated selection gate, a semiconducting drain region, and a control gate insulated from the floating gate and located partially above the floating gate. The source region, the drain region, the substrate region, and the control gate are individually polarizable.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/895,732, filed Feb. 13, 2018, now patent Ser. No. 10/074,429, whichapplication is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/436,831, filed Feb. 19, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,922,712, whichapplication claims priority to French Patent Application No. 1657586,filed on Aug. 5, 2016, which applications are hereby incorporated hereinby reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Embodiments of the invention relate to non-volatile memories.

SUMMARY

There is a constant need at the present time for a reduction in the sizeof memory cells.

Thus, according to one embodiment, a particularly compact memory cell isproposed and has overall dimensions on silicon substantially equivalentto the footprint of a transistor.

According to one aspect, a non-volatile memory device comprises at leastone memory cell. The memory cell includes a selection transistorcomprising an insulated selection gate embedded in a semiconductingsubstrate region. A semiconducting source region contacts a lower partof the embedded insulated selection gate. A state transistor comprises afloating gate having at least one part insulated and embedded in thesubstrate region above an upper part of the insulated and embeddedselection gate, a semiconducting drain region, and a control gateinsulated from the floating gate and located partially above thefloating gate. The source, drain and substrate regions, together withthe control gate, being individually polarizable.

Thus, in this memory cell, the selection transistor is an embeddedtransistor, and the state transistor is at least partially embedded withthe floating and control selection gates stacked on one another, makingit possible to reduce the overall surface area of this memory cell onsilicon.

This memory cell is advantageously erasable by the Fowler-Nordheimeffect and programmable by injection of hot carriers on the source side,a phenomenon known to those skilled in the art by the acronym SSI(“Source Side Injection”).

In a variant, the floating gate may be entirely embedded in thesubstrate.

According to yet another possible variant, the floating gate maycomprise two insulated blocks separated by a first part of the controlgate extending to the vicinity of the embedded insulated selection gate,and surmounted by a second part of the control gate.

As a general rule, and notably in the context of the incorporation ofthe memory cell within a memory plan comprising a matrix of memorycells, the substrate region may comprise two individually polarizablesubstrate areas, located on either side of the embedded selection gateand of the at least one embedded part of the floating gate.

Similarly, the drain region may comprise two individually polarizabledrain areas, located on either side of the at least one embedded part ofthe floating gate.

According to one embodiment, the memory device comprises a memory plancomprising a plurality of memory cells arranged in matrix form alongfirst lines parallel to a first direction and second lines parallel to asecond direction.

The control gates of all the cells of the same first line may then bepolarized by a first metallization layer.

The drain areas of all the memory cells of the same first line may bepolarized by a second metallization layer, for example a bit line, andtwo adjacent memory cells of the same first line share a common drainarea.

The selection gates of all the cells of the same second line may bepolarized by a third metallization layer, for example a word line, andtwo adjacent memory cells of the same first line share a commonsubstrate area.

All the common substrate areas of the same second line may then bepolarized by a fourth metallization layer, parallel to the word line forexample.

Finally, the source areas of all the memory cells of the memory plan maybe polarized simultaneously, usually by means of a plurality of contactareas, in order to minimize the resistance of access to the sourceareas.

According to another aspect, a method is proposed for erasing a memorycell of a memory device such as that defined above, comprising theapplication of an erasing potential difference, above an erasurethreshold, between the control gate and the substrate region, thevoltage present on the embedded selection gate being adapted to preventa breakdown of the insulating material designed to insulate the embeddedselection gate from the substrate region. This can be done by keepingthe potential of the selection gate floating, or by the application of afirst voltage to the embedded selection gate to prevent the breakdown ofthe insulating material designed to insulate the embedded selection gatefrom the substrate region.

In this erasure method, it is also possible, for example, to keep thepotential of the drain region floating and to keep the potential of thesource region floating, or to apply a zero voltage to it.

If the substrate region comprises two substrate areas and the drainregion comprises two drain areas, the erasing potential difference,above the erasure threshold, may be applied between the control gate andat least one of the two substrate areas while keeping the potential ofthe selection gate floating, or while applying the first voltage to theembedded selection gate which is adapted to prevent the breakdown of theinsulating material designed to insulate the embedded selection gatefrom the substrate region.

It is also possible to keep the potential of the two drain areasfloating while keeping the potential of the source region floating, orwhile applying a zero voltage to it.

There is another possible variant of the operation of erasing a memorycell of this memory device. According to this other variant, a secondvoltage may be applied to the control gate and a third voltage may beapplied to the selection gate so as to generate an erasing potentialdifference, above an erasure threshold, between the control gate and theselection gate.

The potential and the substrate region may be kept floating, oralternatively the substrate region may be polarized with a zero voltage.

Here again, the third voltage applied to the selection gate is adaptedto prevent the breakdown of the insulating material designed to insulatethe embedded selection gate from the substrate region.

In other words, according to this other variant, the erasing potentialdifference is applied between the control gate and the selection gate,whereas, in the preceding erasure variant, the erasing potentialdifference was applied between the control gate and the substrateregion.

Here again, according to this other variant, the potential of the drainregion may be kept floating, and either the potential of the sourceregion is kept floating or a zero voltage is applied to it.

According to another aspect, a method is proposed for programming amemory cell of a memory device such as that defined above, comprisingthe application of an programming potential difference, above aprogramming threshold (which is usually lower than the erasurethreshold), between the control gate and the substrate region, and theapplication of a fourth voltage to the embedded selection gate, adaptedto make the selection transistor conduct.

Advantageously, a programming voltage is also applied to the drainregion, and a zero voltage is applied to the source region. If the drainregion comprises two drain areas, the programming voltage may be appliedto one of the two drain areas or to both of them.

According to yet another aspect, a method is proposed for reading amemory cell of a memory device such as that defined above, comprisingthe application of a read control voltage to the control gate, theapplication of a fifth voltage to the selection gate so as to make theselection transistor conduct, and the application of a read voltage tothe drain region, the source region and the substrate region beingconnected to a zero voltage (the earth, for example).

If use is made, in the context of the erasure of a memory plan of thedevice, of the erasure variant in which the erasing potential differenceis applied between the control gate and the substrate region, it is thenpossible to erase two adjacent memory cells belonging to the same firstline of the memory device, by applying the erasing potential differencebetween the control gates of all the memory cells of the first line andthe substrate area common to these two adjacent memory cells.

Conversely, if use is made of the erasure variant in which the erasingpotential difference is applied between the control gate and theselection gate, it is possible to erase one memory cell of the memorydevice at a time by applying the second voltage to the control gate andthe third voltage to the selection gate of the memory cell so as togenerate the erasing potential difference between the control gate andthe selection gate of this memory cell only.

It is also possible to program a memory cell of a memory plan of thememory device as defined above by applying the programming method asdefined above, by applying the programming potential difference betweenthe control gate and the substrate region of this memory cell whilemaking the selection transistor of this memory cell conduct.

It is also possible to read a memory cell of the memory plan of thememory device as defined above by applying the reading method as definedabove, by applying the read control voltage to the control gate of thismemory cell while making only the selection transistor of this memorycell conduct.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from aperusal of the detailed description of embodiments and applications,which are not limiting in any way, and the appended drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 to 22 relate, in a schematic way, to different aspects of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

In FIG. 1, the reference CEL denotes a non-volatile memory cellcomprising a selection transistor TRS and a state transistor TR.

Here, the selection transistor is an embedded vertical transistorcomprising an insulated selection gate SG embedded in a substrateregion.

The state transistor TR comprises a floating gate FG, which, in thisembodiment, has a part to embedded in the substrate region and a part 11projecting above the substrate region.

The state transistor TR also comprises a control gate CG, insulated fromthe floating gate FG, and, more particularly in this case, insulatedfrom the projecting upper part 11 of this floating gate, by aninsulating material OX1, for example a gate oxide such as silicondioxide, although this example is not in any way limiting.

The memory cell CEL also comprises, in the substrate region, a drainregion and a source region S.

The embedded selection gate SG is electrically insulated from thesubstrate region and the source region S by an insulating material OX3which may be of the gate oxide type, for example silicon dioxide.

Consequently, the source region S is in contact with the insulated lowerpart 31 of the selection gate SG.

The embedded part to of the floating gate FG is electrically insulatedfrom the upper part 30 of the selection gate SG by an insulatingmaterial OX2 which, here again, may be of the gate oxide type, forexample silicon dioxide.

Finally, the embedded part to of the floating gate is electricallyinsulated from the substrate region and from the drain region by aninsulating material OX4 which, here again, may be of the gate oxidetype, for example silicon dioxide.

The thickness of the insulating material OX2 is at least equal to, andpreferably greater than, the thickness of the other insulating materialsOX1, OX3 and OX4, so as to generate a good electric field between theselection gate and the floating gate during the programming of the cell.

Although the substrate region and the drain region may completelysurround the embedded selection gate and the embedded part of thefloating gate, these two regions generally comprise, notably for thepurpose of integration into a memory plan comprising a matrix of memorycells, two substrate areas SB1 and SB2 and two drain areas D1 and D2,placed on either side of the embedded selection gate SG and of theembedded part to of the floating gate.

Finally, the transistor TR comprises, in a conventional manner,insulating spacers ESP on the sides of the projecting part 11 of thefloating gate and on the sides of the control gate CG.

In the example illustrated here, the two drain areas D1 and D2 come intocontact with the insulated embedded part of the floating gate. However,these two drain areas could also be remote from this embedded part ofthe floating gate.

Additionally, as is detailed below, the control gate CG, each of thedrain areas D1 and D2, each of the substrate areas SB1 and SB2, theselection gate SG and the source region S are individually polarizableby means of electrically conductive lines such as metallization layers.

In other words, they may be polarized in an individual manner byvoltages that may be different or identical, at least as regards some ofthem.

In this context, as is conventional in this field, silicided areas (notshown in this figure, for the sake of simplicity) are provided to enablecontact to be made by electrically conductive contacts that connectthese silicided areas to the metallization layers.

By way of example, the substrate areas SB1 and SB2 may have the p-typeof conductivity, while the source region and drain areas D1 and D2 mayhave the n-type of conductivity.

Additionally, the thickness of the different insulating materialsdepends on the technology used, and may be, for example, of the order ofa hundred angstrom.

However, as detailed below, the thickness of the insulating material OX3is advantageously chosen on the basis of the voltages that will beapplied to the selection gate SG in certain cases, in order to preventthe breakdown of this insulating material OX3.

It should be noted that the selection transistor TRS has a source regionS, but no drain region as such, whereas the state transistor TR has adrain region D1 and D2, but no source region as such.

However, following the common practice in this technical field, theincorrect usage widespread among those skilled in the art will beaccepted, and the term “transistor” will still be used to denote theselection transistor TRS and the state transistor TR, in spite of theabsence of a drain region in one case and a source region in the other.

Reference will now be made to FIGS. 2 to 5 for the description ofdifferent methods for the erasure, programming and reading of a memorycell such as that illustrated in FIG. 1.

As detailed below, this memory cell may be erased by the Fowler-Nordheimeffect; that is to say, the erasure comprises the extraction of theelectrical charges contained in the floating gate of the transistor by atunnel effect, while the memory cell may be programmed by carrierinjection on the source side (known as SSI, for “Source SideInjection”).

Reference will now be made, more particularly, to FIG. 2, to describe afirst mode of erasure of the memory cell CEL of FIG. 1.

In this case, an erasing potential difference above an erasure thresholdis applied between the control gate CG and one of the substrate areas,for example the substrate area SB2. By way of example, an erasurethreshold is about 14 volts, for example.

In this case, the erasing potential difference is set at 20 volts, whichis above the erasure threshold.

This erasing potential difference is produced by applying, for example,a voltage of −10 volts to the control gate CG and a voltage of +10 voltsto the substrate area SB2. The other substrate area SB1 may be earthed,for example. A first zero voltage, or possibly a first voltage ofseveral volts, may be applied to the selection gate SG; alternatively,the potential of this selection gate may be kept floating.

In any case, the voltage present on this selection gate must be adaptedto prevent the breakdown of the insulating material OX3. In the exampledescribed here, a material OX3 having a thickness of go angstrom canwithstand a potential difference of about 10 volts between the selectiongate SG and the substrate area SB2.

The two drain areas D1 and D2 can be kept floating.

As regards the source region, it may, for example, have a zero voltageapplied to it (by being earthed, for example), or may be kept floating.

Reference will now be made more particularly to FIG. 3, to describe asecond mode of erasure of the memory cell CEL

In this variant, the erasing potential difference is applied between thecontrol gate CG and the selection gate SG. More particularly, a secondvoltage (a voltage of −10 volts, for example) is applied to the controlgate CG, and a third voltage, for example a third voltage of +10 volts,is applied to the selection gate.

On the other hand, the potential of the two substrate areas SB1 and SB2,that is to say the potential of the substrate region, is kept floating.In a variant, the two substrate areas SB1 and SB2 may be connected tothe earth (o volts).

Clearly, once again, the third voltage applied to the selection gate SGis chosen to prevent the breakdown of the insulating material OX3, inview of the potential difference between the selection gate SG and thesubstrate areas SB1 and SB2.

The potential of the drain region D1 and D2 may be kept floating. Thepotential of the source region may also be kept floating, or a zerovoltage may be applied to it.

As detailed below, this mode of erasure may be used for the individualerasure of one cell of the memory plan, while the mode of erasuredescribed with reference to FIG. 2 results in the simultaneous erasureof two adjacent memory cells having a common substrate area.

Reference will now be made more particularly to FIG. 4, to describe amode of programming the memory cell CEL

To perform this programming, a programming potential difference isapplied, this potential difference being above a programming thresholdwhich is usually below the erasure threshold. For guidance, aprogramming threshold is about 7 volts. The programming threshold is thevoltage above which programming is carried out within an acceptableperiod, taking the planned application into account.

In the example described here, a voltage of +10 volts is applied to thecontrol gate CG, while a zero voltage is applied to the two substrateareas SB1 and SB2. This programming potential difference of +10 volts istherefore well above the programming threshold.

Additionally, a fourth voltage, 1.5 volts in this case, is applied tothe embedded selection gate, this voltage being adapted to make theselection transistor conduct.

As regards the drain areas D1 and D2, a programming voltage, of between3 and 5 volts for example, or of about 4 volts for example, is appliedto one or both of these areas so as to produce a sufficient draincurrent, while a zero voltage is applied to the source region S.

In this case, the programming is performed by means of the SSI (SourceSide Injection) phenomenon.

More precisely, a potential difference is created along the channelbecause of the spacing of the floating gate and the selection gate bythe oxide OX2, as well as by the difference in the potentials of thesetwo gates. The potential of the floating gate is sufficiently higherthan that of the selection gate.

Thus a vertical electric field is generated in the channel areaseparating these two gates.

The electrons coming from the source when the selection transistor isconducting are accelerated by this electric field, gain kinetic energy,and have a high probability of having a higher energy than the potentialbarrier of the tunnel oxide, and a high probability of being attractedtowards the floating gate once they are in the channel of the statetransistor (because of the horizontal potential difference between thechannel and the floating gate).

To ensure that the electrons flow in a sufficient quantity in thechannel, it is advantageous to establish a relatively high drainpotential, between 3 and 5 volts in this case.

Reference will now be made more particularly to FIG. 5, to describe amode of reading the memory cell CEL.

To read the cell CEL, a read control voltage, for example +5 volts, isapplied to the control gate CG, while a fifth voltage, for example +3volts, is applied to the selection gate SG, so as to make the selectiontransistor conduct.

A read voltage, for example +1 volt, is also applied to one of the twodrain areas D1 and D2, the source region S and the two substrate areasSB1 and SB2 being connected to a zero voltage (the earth, for example).

Reference will now be made more particularly to FIG. 6, to describe anexemplary embodiment of a non-volatile memory device comprising a memoryplan PM of memory cells CEL such as those described above.

The memory plan PM comprises a plurality of memory cells CEL_(i,j),arranged in matrix form along first lines parallel to a first directionDR1 and second lines parallel to a second direction DR2.

The control gates CG_(i−1,j), CG_(i,j), CG_(i+1,j) of all the cells ofthe same first line having the index j may then be polarized by a firstmetallization layer CGL_(j).

The drain areas D_(i−2,i−1), D_(i−1,i), D_(i,i+1), D_(i+1,i+2) of allthe cells CEL_(i−1,j), CEL_(i,j), CEL_(i+1,j) may be polarized by asecond metallization layer BLj (or bit line).

Additionally, two adjacent memory cells CEL_(i,j) and CEL_(i+1,j) of thesame first line having the index j share a common drain area Di,i+1.

The selection gates SG_(i,j), SG_(i,j+1), . . . of all the cellsCEL_(i,j), CEL_(i,j+1), . . . of the same second line having the index imay be polarized by a third metallization layer WL_(i) (or word line).

Additionally, two adjacent memory cells CEL_(i,j) and CEL_(i+1,j) of thesame first line having the index j share a common drain area SB_(i,i+1),and all these common substrate areas of the same second line having theindex i may be polarized by a fourth metallization layer SBL_(i,i+1).

Finally, the source regions S of all the memory cells of the memory planmay be polarized simultaneously, preferably by means of a plurality ofcontacts, in order to minimize the resistance of access to the sourceplan.

Reference will now be made more particularly to FIGS. 7 to 10 for thedescription of the erasure, programming and reading methods used in thememory plan PM illustrated in FIG. 6.

In FIG. 7, a voltage of −10 volts is applied to the line CGL_(j), and azero voltage is applied to the other lines CGL having indices other thanj.

Additionally, since the common substrate areas are individuallypolarizable, a voltage of +10 volts is applied to the common substratearea SB_(i,i+1) and a zero voltage is applied to the other commonsubstrate areas SB_(i−1,i), SB_(i+1, i+2) by means of the correspondingmetallization layers SBL_(i,i+1), SBL_(i−1,i) et SBL_(i+1, i+2). A zerovoltage is also applied to all the selection gates of all the memorycells of the memory plan, and the same is done for the source areas,while the drain areas D_(i−2,i−1), D_(i−1,i), D_(i,i+1), D_(i+1,i+2) . .. are kept floating.

Therefore, an erasing potential difference above the erasure thresholdis applied between the control gate CG_(i,j) of the memory cellCEL_(i,j) and the common substrate area SB_(i,i+1), and between thecontrol gate CG_(i+1,j) of the adjacent memory cell CEL_(i+1,j) and thesame common substrate area SB_(i,i+1).

Thus the two adjacent cells CEL_(i,j) and CEL_(i+1,j) of the first linehaving the index j are erased simultaneously.

In the erasure mode shown in FIG. 8, the voltage of −10 volts is appliedto the control gates coupled to the gate CGL_(j) and a zero voltage isapplied to the control gates connected to the metallization layers CGLhaving an index other than j, while a zero voltage is applied to all theselection gates of all the memory cells except the selection gateSG_(i,j) of the memory cell CEL_(i,j), to which the voltage of +10 isapplied via the word line WL_(i).

Here again, the sources are brought to zero potential and the drainareas are kept floating.

Consequently, since a zero voltage is applied to the control gatesconnected to the metallization layers CGL other than the metallizationlayer CGL_(j), the erasing potential difference of +20 volts is appliedsolely between the control gate CG_(i,j) and the selection gate SG_(i,j)of the cell CEL_(i,j), so that this memory cell alone can be erased.

FIG. 9 shows a mode of programming the memory cell CEL_(i,j) of thememory plan PM.

In this procedure, the voltage of +10 volts is applied to the controlgates connected to the line CG_(j), and the zero voltage is applied tothe other control gates connected to the lines CGL having an index otherthan j.

A zero voltage is applied to all the substrate areas and also to thesource areas.

A voltage de 1.5 volts is also applied to the selection gates of all thememory cells connected to the word line WL_(i), while a voltage of 4volts, for example, is applied to the drain areas connected to the bitline BL_(j).

Consequently, only the memory cell CEL_(i,j) has its selectiontransistor conducting while also having a potential difference of +10volts between its control gate and these substrate areas, enabling it tobe programmed.

The same reasoning is applied to the read mode shown in FIG. 10, usingdifferent voltage values, namely

+5 volts on the control gates connected to the line CGL_(j),

0 volts on the control gates connected to the other lines CGL,

1 volt on the drain areas connected to the bit line BL_(j),

0 volts on the substrate areas,

0 volts on the source areas, and

3 volts on the selection gates of the cells connected to the word lineWL_(i).

Thus only the cell CEL_(i,j) is read.

Reference will now be made more particularly to FIGS. 11 to 20 for thehighly schematic description of some steps of a method for manufacturinga memory device such as that described above, these figures illustratinga way of making contact on the selection gates, substrate areas andsource regions.

In each of FIGS. 11 to 20, the left-hand side shows a partial sectionalview, the second direction DR2 being perpendicular to the plane of thisleft-hand part, while the right-hand part of the figure shows asectional view taken along the line AA of the left-hand part of thefigure, the second direction DR2 being parallel to the plane of thisright-hand part this time.

In FIG. 11, the reference 11 denotes a substrate in which, in aconventional and known manner, a trench TCH is formed, using a hard maskHM.

After the etching of this trench TCH, the region 110 shows schematicallythe future source region, while the areas 111, located on either side ofthe trench TCH, will form the future substrate areas.

As detailed below, the trench TCH is designed to receive the embeddedselection gates of a plurality of memory cells, together with theembedded parts of the floating gates of a plurality of memory cells.

Then, as shown in FIG. 12, after the formation, for example, of a layerof silicon dioxide 13 (which will form the future oxide OX3 insulatingthe gate of the selection transistor from the substrate region), a firstpolysilicon layer 12 is deposited in a conventional manner, notablyfilling the trench TCH.

Then, as shown in FIG. 13, another hard mask HM is used for the partialetching of the polysilicon 12 to produce a residual polysilicon region120.

As detailed below, this polysilicon region 120 will form future embeddedselection gates.

To simplify the figure, the oxide portions 13 covering the areas 111above the region 120 have not been illustrated. In any case, these oxideportions 13 that are not illustrated will be covered in the next step byanother layer of silicon dioxide.

This is because, as shown in FIG. 14, silicon dioxide 14 is grown in aconventional and known manner on the structure of FIG. 13. This growthon highly doped polysilicon will enable the future oxide OX2 to beproduced with a greater thickness.

As shown in FIG. 15, a second polysilicon layer 15 is subsequentlydeposited on the oxide layer 14.

Then, as shown in FIG. 16, the polysilicon layer 15 is partially etched,using another hard mask HM, so as to define two trenches TCH1 and TCH2separating polysilicon blocks 150.

A layer of an insulating material 17, for example a stack of silicondioxide, silicon nitride and silicon dioxide, known by the acronym ONOto those skilled in the art, is then deposited on the structure of FIG.16.

Then, in FIG. 18, a third polysilicon layer 18 is deposited to cover theinsulating material 17.

Then, as shown in FIG. 19, further etching is carried out using anotherhard mask HM, so as to delimit the floating gates and the control gates.

On the right-hand side of the figure, the references 151 o and 1520represent two floating gates of two adjacent cells, while the reference8 o represents the control gates of these two adjacent cells.

On the left-hand side of the figure, it can be seen that the etched part151 of the polysilicon does indeed have an embedded part forming theembedded part of a floating gate and a part projecting above thesubstrate areas 111

It should be noted that, for the sake of simplicity, these figures donot show the insulation areas for insulating, notably, the two controlgates of the two adjacent cells.

The material 14 corresponds to the insulating material OX2 of FIG. 1,while the material 17 corresponds, notably, to the oxide OX1 of FIG. 1,and the material 13 corresponds to the oxide OX3 of FIG. 1.

The upper surface 1201 of the step 1200 shown on the right of theright-hand part of FIG. 19 can be used, as shown in FIG. 20, to providea contact area for the selection gates of the cells of this line, thiscontact area being connected to the word line WL.

Additionally, as shown in FIG. 20, the contact area CS for contactingthe source regions 110 is provided by using a well 1100 insulatedlaterally from the step 1200 by an insulating region RIS.

Similarly, the substrate areas 111 are contacted in a similar way tothat described for the source region, using other polysilicon wells, notshown on FIG. 20 for the sake of simplicity.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments and applicationsdescribed above, but includes all variants thereof.

Thus, as illustrated in FIG. 21, it is possible to provide a memory cellCEL having a floating gate FG1 completely embedded in the substrateabove the embedded selection gate SG1.

Consequently, the control gate CG1 of this memory cell requires only asingle polysilicon level above the substrate.

It is also possible, as shown in FIG. 22, to provide a memory cell CELwhose floating gate comprises two insulated blocks FG20 and FG21,separated by a first part 201 of the control gate CG2, this first part201 extending to the vicinity of the embedded insulated selection gateSG2.

An insulating material, for example a gate oxide, OX5, electricallyinsulates the two blocks FG20 and FG21 from the first part 201 of thecontrol gate CG2.

The control gate CG2 also has a second part 200 insulated from the twoblocks FG20 and FG21 of the floating gate and surmounting these twoblocks.

This cell advantageously enables two bits to be stored per cell.

It would also be possible to have a combination of the embodiments ofFIGS. 21 and 22, in other words to have a floating gate consisting oftwo blocks completely embedded in the substrate and separated by thefirst part 201 of the control gate, the second part 200 of the controlgate then being formed by a single level of polysilicon above thesubstrate.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of erasing a memory cell, the method comprising: applying a first voltage to a control gate of the memory cell, wherein the control gate is disposed over and insulated from a floating gate of the memory cell, wherein the floating gate comprises an embedded portion disposed over and insulated from a selection gate of the memory cell, wherein the embedded portion of the floating gate is located between a first substrate region of a semiconductor substrate and a second substrate region of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the floating gate further comprises a projecting portion extending out of the semiconductor substrate and disposed over the embedded portion of the floating gate and below the control gate, wherein the selection gate is embedded in the semiconductor substrate and below the embedded portion of the floating gate, wherein the selection gate is located between the first substrate region of the semiconductor substrate and the second substrate region of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the semiconductor substrate further comprises a source region disposed below the selection gate, the first substrate region of the semiconductor substrate, and the second substrate region of the semiconductor substrate; applying a second voltage to the first substrate region of the semiconductor substrate; and applying a third voltage to the second substrate region of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the third voltage is different from the second voltage, wherein a potential difference between the second voltage and the first voltage is greater than an erasure threshold of the memory cell so as to perform an erasing operation on the memory cell.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the third voltage is a ground potential.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first voltage is less than the ground potential, and wherein the second voltage is greater than the ground potential.
 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a fourth voltage to the selection gate, wherein a potential difference between the second voltage and the fourth voltage is less than a breakdown voltage of a dielectric layer disposed between the selection gate and the first substrate region.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising keeping a potential of the selection gate floating.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the semiconductor substrate further comprises a first drain region disposed over the first substrate region and a second drain region disposed over the second substrate region, the method further comprising keeping the first drain region and the second drain region floating.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying a ground potential to the source region.
 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising keeping a potential of the source region floating.
 9. A method of erasing a memory cell, the method comprising: applying a first voltage to a control gate of the memory cell, wherein the control gate is disposed over and insulated from a floating gate of the memory cell, wherein the floating gate comprises an embedded portion disposed over and insulated from a selection gate of the memory cell, wherein the embedded portion of the floating gate is located between a first substrate region of a semiconductor substrate and a second substrate region of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the floating gate further comprises a projecting portion extending out of the semiconductor substrate and disposed over the embedded portion of the floating gate and below the control gate, wherein the selection gate is embedded in the semiconductor substrate and below the embedded portion of the floating gate, wherein the selection gate is located between the first substrate region of the semiconductor substrate and the second substrate region of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the semiconductor substrate further comprises a source region disposed below the selection gate, the first substrate region of the semiconductor substrate, and the second substrate region of the semiconductor substrate; and applying a second voltage to the selection gate, wherein a potential difference between the second voltage and the first voltage is greater than an erasure threshold of the memory cell so as to perform an erasing operation on the memory cell.
 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising keeping a potential of the first substrate region and the second substrate region floating.
 11. The method of claim 9, further comprising applying a third voltage to the first substrate region and the second substrate region, wherein the third voltage is different from the second voltage.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the third voltage is a ground potential, and wherein the second voltage is greater than the ground potential, and wherein the first voltage is less than the ground potential.
 13. The method of claim 11, wherein a potential difference between the second voltage and the third voltage is less than a breakdown voltage of a dielectric layer disposed between the selection gate and the each of the first substrate region and the second substrate region.
 14. The method of claim 9, wherein the semiconductor substrate further comprises a first drain region disposed over the first substrate region and a second drain region disposed over the second substrate region, the method further comprising keeping the first drain region and the second drain region floating.
 15. The method of claim 9, further comprising applying a ground potential to the source region.
 16. The method of claim 9, further comprising keeping a potential of the source region floating.
 17. A method of programming a memory cell, the method comprising: applying a first voltage to a control gate of the memory cell, wherein the control gate is disposed over and insulated from a floating gate of the memory cell, wherein the floating gate comprises an embedded portion disposed over and insulated from a selection gate of the memory cell, wherein the embedded portion of the floating gate is located between a first substrate region of a semiconductor substrate and a second substrate region of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the floating gate further comprises a projecting portion extending out of the semiconductor substrate and disposed over the embedded portion of the floating gate and below the control gate, wherein the selection gate is embedded in the semiconductor substrate and below the embedded portion of the floating gate, wherein the selection gate is located between the first substrate region of the semiconductor substrate and the second substrate region of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the semiconductor substrate further comprises a source region disposed below the selection gate, the first substrate region of the semiconductor substrate, and the second substrate region of the semiconductor substrate; applying a second voltage to the first substrate region and the second substrate region of the semiconductor substrate; and applying a third voltage to the selection gate, wherein the third voltage is different from the second voltage and the third voltage, wherein a potential difference between the first voltage and the second voltage is greater than a programming threshold of the memory cell so as to perform a programming operation on the memory cell.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second voltage is a ground potential.
 19. The method of claim 17, wherein the potential difference between the first voltage and the second voltage is less than an erasing threshold of the memory cell, the erasing threshold being a minimum voltage to cause an erasing of the memory cell.
 20. The method of claim 17, wherein the third voltage is greater than the second voltage and less than the first voltage.
 21. The method of claim 20, wherein the semiconductor substrate further comprises a first drain region disposed over the first substrate region and a second drain region disposed over the second substrate region, the method further comprising applying a fourth voltage to at least one of the first drain region or the second drain region, wherein the fourth voltage is greater than the third voltage and less than the first voltage.
 22. The method of claim 17, further comprising applying a ground potential to the source region. 